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U.S. presidential election, 1932

Presidential CandidateElectoral Vote Popular Vote Pct Party Running Mate
(Electoral Votes)
Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York (W) 472 22,821,857 57.7% Democrat John Nance Garner of Texas (472)
Herbert Hoover of California 59 15,761,841 39.8% Republican Charles Curtis of Kansas (59)
Norman Thomas of New York 0 884,781 2.2% Socialist Party James H. Maurer of Pennsylvania
William Z. Foster 0 103,253 0.3% Communist Party
William D. Upshaw 0 81,872 0.2% Prohibition Party
Other 0 90,709 0.2%
Total 531 39,744,313 100.0%
Other elections: 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944
Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register


At the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago, Illinois Franklin Delano Roosevelt succeeded in getting the party's nomination on the third ballot, triumphing over 1928 Democratic candidate Al Smith.

Roosevelt's campaign saw the New York governor committing himself to battling the Great Depression, promoting a platform with "Three R's - relief, recovery and reform." He coined the term "New Deal" when he stated: "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people."

President Hoover was widely percieved as being at least in part to blame for the Great Depression; for over 2 years Hoover had been issuing statements that the worst was over, only to have the economy make further downturns.

The election was held on November 8, 1932.

The Democratic Party Platform included repeal of National Prohibition (devolving the decision of allowing or prohibiting alcohol to the individual states to decide for themselves). How discredited prohibition had become can be seen from the fact that despite this threat, Prohibition Party candidate William D. Upshaw gathered but 81,872 votes. From now on the Prohibitionist movement would exist only as a small fringe with little influence on the mainstream of American politics.

See also: President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1932, History of the United States (1918-1945)